Summary

Paediatric sleep disorders are very common, affecting up to one third of all children.

Most children with sleep disorders (e.g., with behavioural insomnia of childhood) do not require pharmacological treatment, and can be managed with behavioural and environmental interventions.

Obstructive sleep apnoea affects up to 4% of children. It is specifically associated with deleterious neurocognitive, developmental, and behavioural outcomes in children. Adenotonsillectomy is generally the first line of therapy and can be associated with reversal of some of these adverse sequelae.